pool closed water level drops

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G

gtr1999

0
Bronze Supporter
Aug 4, 2016
62
New Haven CT
Hi All,
Well I closed the IG pool for the 1st time a couple of weeks ago. All seemed to go well. Got it cleaned up, blew out the skimmers and returns, plugged them up and got the main drain blowing air bubbles like a Jacuzzi and closed the valve to air lock the main drain. This setup doesn't have ball valves in the skimmer or main drain lines like I see on other systems.

I went out to pump the water off the cover today and found the water level is now about 30" from the deck, I closed it about 16-18" so it was just below the skimmer entrance. The only thing I can think of is the valve didn't hold and I lost the air lock and the pipes filled. I am adding water and will see about plumbing a ball valve inline to blow out the main again. Any other ideas? Found some water tubes leaking too so I will have to replace them.
 
gtr1999:

Sorry to hear about your problem. If you lost the "air lock" in the main drain, water would have filled up in the basket (please check basket). This year, I released the air to close the main drain again (was not comfortable because I accidentally moved a valve and wanted to be 100% certain). If there is no water, then chances are that you have not lost air. The skimmers, if closed properly with a Gizmo should not have any water entering in the pipes (Are your skimmers still empty of water?). The returns, if sealed properly should not create any leaks and water will not enter the plumbing. IMHO, 12" of water filling in piping is very high and this is probably not the case.

What you are doing is great. I would suggest blue painters tape right about the water line, (where you filled up), and play the waiting game. Maybe your pool will not leak water. If you do have a problem, then let the leak go until it stops. No matter what, you will continue to leak. If the water stops, especially with this weather you will not have any evaporation, then you can pin point the are in question and hopefully patch it up. Quite often, we see people continue to fill the pool up, not really diagnosing the problem.

Please keep us posted!
 
Thank you both for your opinion, I am beginning to share it as a leak too but I don't know how we could have created one? The pool level was good through the summer, I did drain and add to correct some CYA but nothing like I am seeing now. I have not opened the only valve to the main drain yet. I was planning on making up a double valve setup to see if that makes a difference, but that is a lot of water to lose just from the drain plumbing.
I filled it back up over the weekend and will see about this blown down valve and if that works. If not I might just wait till spring to see.

Any idea what a new liner costs to install? I am thinking about $5k for a 16 x32 x 8 and that might impact the decision to keep or fill in the pool next year.

Here is what it looks like

005_zpszboalfzk.jpg
 
A new liner is probably more in line of about $3K, unless in CT where you live prices are real high. Please do not fill pool up and see where the level stops and this should only take a few days to figure out. You may only need to patch something up. Is it at all possible that you could have made a mistake on water level? A lot of times, I think water is leaking, when it is not (because I use the blue tape method of tracking water loss).
 
I used the sump pump the previous owner left for the pool to drain it down.- very carefully lowering it into the pool.

Yes things in CT cost more then most places, bad politics but that's a whole other story.

I don't think I made a mistake on the level. Before we put the cover on the level was 2-3 inches below the skimmer opening and about 1/2 way level on the return ports. When I removed a water tube and picked up a section of the cover over one of the ports the level was at least 12" lower then it now.

I have Wed off so I want to remove the leafs and water from the top of the cover and see about blowing out the main drain again. I believe I set the air psi to about 30-40psi when blowing out the lines.
 
The reason I asked about how you drained was in case this was somehow done with pool plumbing, so perhaps a valve was left slightly open, or a siphon effect was still ongoing... However, if you used a sump pump, and then removed it afterward, that idea is a non-starter.

Perhaps the junction between liner and steps is worth looking at more closely? That looks like a potential leak hazard in a pool like yours.
 
Unfortunately, from time to time, after a homeowner closes his/her pool, this situation surfaces. This is why I suggest you have allow the leak to stop. If it is where you left off, then the leak is probably coming from the return(s), or by the steps as singingpond suggests. If it continues below the return(s), then you are looking at the main drain, the pool light, and/or a seam in the pool.

BTW, do you have a dog and is he/she allowed in the pool? My friend had same situation and then after closing the pool, the water nearly emptied because the pressure moved parts of the liner. The amount of liner tears from the dog was just amazing. The pressure of water behind the liner went underground and the liner came apart.
 
Catanzaro said:
Unfortunately, from time to time, after a homeowner closes his/her pool, this situation surfaces. This is why I suggest you have allow the leak to stop. If it is where you left off, then the leak is probably coming from the return(s), or by the steps as singingpond suggests. If it continues below the return(s), then you are looking at the main drain, the pool light, and/or a seam in the pool.

BTW, do you have a dog and is he/she allowed in the pool? My friend had same situation and then after closing the pool, the water nearly emptied because the pressure moved parts of the liner. The amount of liner tears from the dog was just amazing. The pressure of water behind the liner went underground and the liner came apart.
Click to expand...

Thanks again. No dog, no known leaks since I bought the house back in August. No wall lights either. Just has the main drain, 1 skimmer, 3 ports - 1 of which was plugged already. Water level drained below the ports .

What type of issue do those plastic step inserts have? I am not sure how they would have changed though? I will stop wasting water adding it to the pool, if the level drops after I blow it out that is where it will stay till May.
 

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What type of issue do those plastic step inserts have? I am not sure how they would have changed though? I will stop wasting water adding it to the pool, if the level drops after I blow it out that is where it will stay till May.
Click to expand...

There is a lot of coverage area for leaks, and that is why the plastic steps and the gaskets, etc. have to be investigated. Depending on the structure of the pool, you may not want to wait until the spring. See where the water stops and go from there. Then fill up one more time and see if stops in the same spot. If so, at least you have covered some ground.

Any water in the pump basket? If you have a chlorinator, open it up and see if any water exists in there. If not, then the leak is not in the plumbing, but in the liner/wall/soil, etc.
 
Catanzaro said:
There is a lot of coverage area for leaks, and that is why the plastic steps and the gaskets, etc. have to be investigated. Depending on the structure of the pool, you may not want to wait until the spring. See where the water stops and go from there. Then fill up one more time and see if stops in the same spot. If so, at least you have covered some ground.

Any water in the pump basket? If you have a chlorinator, open it up and see if any water exists in there. If not, then the leak is not in the plumbing, but in the liner/wall/soil, etc.
Click to expand...

Here is my filter/plumbing setup, looks pretty basic. To blow out the lines I first tried the shop vac that was left but it just didn't have enough pressure to blow out the lines. So I connected my compressor to the 1/4 drain port on the pump, set the filter valve to recirculate, and that worked to blow them all out, 1 by 1. The main drain last and I turned the valve pictured to close and thought I was done with the pool for awhile.

I don't know how well that valve sealed. I did break it loose at the unions to the skimmer and pump but haven't opened the drain yet. There was water in the valve, not a lot but it was wet.

005_zpsar59gzbi.jpg
 
I don't know how well that valve sealed. I did break it loose at the unions to the skimmer and pump but haven't opened the drain yet. There was water in the valve, not a lot but it was wet.
Click to expand...

This is fine as you really never get 100% of the water out. Maybe I removed 99%, but then again, I vacuum everything out pretty well while clearing the lines with the Cyclone (A powerful machine). Keep us posted where it stops!
 
Thanks, I was going to continue on blowing out the main drain again but I'll wait until I see if the level drops, if it follows the same schedule it will take about 7-10 days. In the meantime, I have tomorrow off, the weather should be sunny and about 65* so I'm going to forget the pool headaches and take my 72 vette out for the day!!!

I appreciate the help.
Gary
 
gtr1999 said:
Thank you both for your opinion, I am beginning to share it as a leak too but I don't know how we could have created one? The pool level was good through the summer, I did drain and add to correct some CYA but nothing like I am seeing now. I have not opened the only valve to the main drain yet. I was planning on making up a double valve setup to see if that makes a difference, but that is a lot of water to lose just from the drain plumbing.
I filled it back up over the weekend and will see about this blown down valve and if that works. If not I might just wait till spring to see.

Any idea what a new liner costs to install? I am thinking about $5k for a 16 x32 x 8 and that might impact the decision to keep or fill in the pool next year.

Here is what it looks like

005_zpszboalfzk.jpg
Click to expand...


Fill in runs about 10k pools are outbuildings in CT & the steel panels need to be removed, it's definitely "cheaper to keep' er"

That looks like a late 80 early 90s heldor Classic kit built by Gene Favour (RIP) as he had the dealership & loved his skimmers on the 45 chop wall.

That's a very strong pool kit btw


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
PoolguyinCT said:
Fill in runs about 10k pools are outbuildings in CT & the steel panels need to be removed, it's definitely "cheaper to keep' er"

That looks like a late 80 early 90s heldor Classic kit built by Gene Favour (RIP) as he had the dealership & loved his skimmers on the 45 chop wall.

That's a very strong pool kit btw


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thanks Poolguy, you may be dead on correct. I was told the pool is about 25 years old with one liner change. I'll make up my mind on keeping it or not depending on the water issue. I never wanted a pool and probably should have discussed it more with my agent at the time but I have it now.

I used it about 2 hours this summer with 40hrs of labor, not a good trade off, plus the cost of electricity is close to $100 a month to run it. If I had a house full of people to use it that would be ok but just for me for a couple of months a year is not the best value for me.

We'll see, thanks again for your input.

Gary
 
To follow up from last Fall. The pool leaked down to the bottom of the 4' end. Heavy wind dumped the cover into it during the Winter and I sure wasn't going in the water with snow on the ground.

Local pool companies wanted $5k to replace the liner, $6.5k to fill it. Landscaping companies wanted $4500 to fill it. I elected to get rid of the pool. No one to really use it, $100 a month in electricity, and $5k for a liner for maybe 5-8 weeks of use just doesn't cut it. If I had kids here using it all summer I would have kept it, so I had an excavator to remove it, fill it in, pull the bushes, and seed it- $3400. If you have to do this shop around. The town requires a permit pulled to fill it in and required the liner and shell removed. The pool company was going to do it in one day and bury it all in the hole! For $6500!

I want to thank all those that helped me but I'm done with pools and won't miss having one in the backyard. The local town pool is clean, clear and I don't have to work on it!
 
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